Retractable key carrier

ABSTRACT

A key carrier includes an electromagnetic wave transmitter and a key. The key is pivotally mounted within a drum rotatably mounted in the key case. When the drum is rotated so that an opening of the drum is in alignment with an opening of the case, a spring mounted between the key and the drum biases the key out of the case. When the drum is rotated so that the openings are out of alignment, a stop surface of the case retains the key within the drum. A second spring is provided for biasing the drum such that the openings are out of alignment. A manual control wheel is provided for rotating the drum so that the openings are in alignment, so that the key can be extracted from case.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a key carrier of the type comprising akey which can be retracted into a case provided with an opening throughwhich the functional portion of the key can exit for use.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Certain automobiles are now equipped with a control device for unlockingthe doors, the device comprising a infrared wave transmitter in thepossession of the vehicle driver and a receiver mounted in the vehicle.However, if the control device breaks down, it is necessary that thedriver has a key at his disposal which allows him to unlock the doors ina conventional fashion. Until the present, this key has been connectedto the transmitter case by a ring and the transmitter casing body hasconstituted a key carrier for this key and, optionally, for the ignitionkey of the vehicle. It seemed desirable, in order to reduce the bulk ofthis key-casing unit of the transmitter, to be able to retract theemergency key into the transmitter case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention proposes a key carrier of the type comprising a key whichcan be retracted into a case provided with an opening through which thekey body can exit, characterized in that one end of this key is mountedon a pin about which it can pivot by a predetermined angle in order toexit from the case.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the key carrierincludes elastic means which act on the key to cause it to pivot aboutits pin toward a surface for positioning the key, blocking means whichallow the key to be retained in the case by opposing the action of theelastic means, and manual control means which allow the blocking meansto be acted on.

By means of such a structure the key contained in the case can bebrought out automatically by a simple action on the part of the user onthe control means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the presentinvention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood from the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a key carrier constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention and in which the key isshown in its extended position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line 4--4 of FIG. 1, whereby the key isin its retracted position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line 5--5 of FIG. 1, whereby the key isin its retracted position;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line 6--6 of FIG. 1, whereby the key isin its retracted position;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line 7--7 of FIG. 1, whereby the key isin its retracted position;

FIG. 8 is a general outer view of the key carrier of FIG. 1, whereby thekey is in its retracted position; and

FIG. 9 is a side view in the direction of arrow F of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The key carrier shown in FIG. 1 to 9 has a case 10 with the generalshape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

Case 10 has a lower part constituted by bottom 12 and flat rectangularcover 14, and an upper part constituted by parallelpipedic cover 16.

Case 10 contains a retractable key 18, e.g. for controlling theunlocking of an automobile door lock, and a second control device forunlocking door locks of the vehicle. In the embodiment shown, thissecond device is constituted by an infrared wave transmitter whichcooperates with a receiver (not shown) integrated into the vehicle. Theinfrared wave transmitter is only shown in a schematic fashion. Itschief components are emitter bulb 19 and batteries 20.

The structure for permitting the key 18 of case 10 to be extended if theinfrared wave transmitter breaks down will now be described in detail.

Key 18 has a function body 22 which can be introduced into a lock (notshown), and a gripping head constituted by case 10 itself.

Rectangular opening 24 is formed in a side wall of case 10.

According to the invention, end 26 of the body 22 of key 18 is pivotablymounted in case 10 by means of pin 28. Key 18 can pivot about pin 28 inorder to exit from case 10 through opening 24. FIG. 1 shows the key inextended position in solid lines, an intermediate position 18' of thekey in dotted lines and the fully retracted position at 18" in dottedlines. In the examples shown, key 22 pivots about pin 28 by an angle of90° between extended position 18 and fully retracted position 18". Pin28 is not mounted directly in case 10 but rather in a drum 30 which isitself mounted so that it can rotate in case 10 in a manner describedbelow. Pin 28 is mounted in bore 32 of drum 30. The direction of bore 32and thus of pin 28 is perpendicular to the general axis X--X of drum 30about which the latter can rotate. As can be seen from FIG. 1, thegeneral axis Y--Y of key body 18" coincides with axis X--X of the drumwhen the key is in fully retracted position in space 34 provided forthis purpose in drum 30. The key can exit or return through rectangularaxial window 35 cut in the cylindrical wall of drum 30.

According to the invention, elastic means 36 are provided to bias body22 of key 18 to pivot about pin 28 in the direction corresponding to theextension of the key. Elastic means 36 are constituted by spiral spring38 wound about pin 28. A first end 40 of spiral spring 38 bears on flatsurface 42 formed on body 22 of key 18. The second end 44 of spring 38bears on support surface 46 formed on drum 30 at the upper part of space34. Under the action of spiral spring 38, key 18 is held in contact withpositioning surface 48 formed on the upper contour of window 35 of drum30. Positioning surface 48 cooperates with a corresponding surface 50formed on body 22 of key 18 in order to define precisely thepredetermined pivoting angle of the key about pin 28 and the extendedposition of the key in relation to case 10.

According to another characteristic of the invention, blocking means areprovided for retaining key 18 inside drum 30, and so inside case 10, andfor preventing key 18 from pivoting around pin 28 under the action ofspiral spring 38 at the wrong time. These blocking means are constitutedby the rotary mounting of drum 30 in case 10 and by the possibilitywhich is thus offered of being able to mask window 35 of drum 30, thuscompletely retracting key 18.

Drum 30 is rotatably mounted in case 10 by means of upper trunnion 52and lower trunnion 54, which are received in bores 56 and 58 formed incase 10. Drum 30 can thus rotate about its axis X--X in relation to case10 when the key is in its fully retracted position 18", that is, whenaxis Y--Y coincides wiht axis X--X. In this position, body 22 of key 18no longer cooperates with the edge of opening 40 and therefore does notoppose the rotation of drum 30. The position of drum 30 in case 10,defined by the location of bores 56 and 58, is selected in such a mannerthat when window 35 is opposite opening 24, the edge of window 25contains the edge of opening 24, as can be seen in FIG. 3.

When the drum occupies the position shown in FIG. 6, i.e. when it hasexecuted a rotation of 90° in a clockwise direction about its axis X--Xfrom the position which it occupies in FIG. 1, opening 35 is locatedopposite stop surface 60 formed inside case 10. In this position window35 is entirely masked by stop surface 60, against which outer surface 23of body 22 of key 18 abuts.

The rotation of drum 30 about its axis X--X can be controlled byserrated control wheel 62 connected to drum 30. In the embodiment shownserrated control wheel 62 is integral with drum 30 and is constituted bya series of axial grooves formed on the outer surface of the latter inthe vicinity of upper trunnion 52. Serrated wheel 62 is positioned inthe upper part of the contour of opening 24 of casing 10 and is thusaccessible from outside the case to a driver who wishes to rotate drum30 about its axis X--X.

The rotation of drum 30 about its axis X--X is limited by cylindricalstud 64 fixed to drum 30 and extending parallel to the axis of thelatter (see FIG. 4). Stud 64 penetrates into stud-hole 66 formed in acircular arc in case 10. The rotation of the drum is thus limitedbetween a first position in which window 35 is opposite stop surface 60and in which stud 64 abuts against end 68 of stud-hole 66 and a secondposition in which window 35 is opposite opening 24, whereby stud 64 thenabuts against the second end 70 of stud-hole 66. The circular arc ofstud-hole 66, delimited by ends 68 and 70 of the latter, describes anangle of 90° which determines the possible rotation through 90° of thedrum about its axis X--X.

The means for limiting the rotation of the drum also comprise, inaddition to stud 64, return spring 72 which permanently pushes the drumtoward the first position defined above, that is, toward the position inwhich stud 64 abuts against the first end 68 of stud-hole 66. Returnspring 72 is a spiral cylindrical spring mounted in axial cylindricalgroove 73 formed in drum 30 in the vicinity of upper trunnion 52. Afirst end 74 of the spring is received in a pierced hole 76 formed atthe bottom of cylindrical groove 73. The second end 78 of spring 72 isreceived in bore 80 formed in case 10. As ends 74 and 78 of spring 72are thus fixed to drum 30 and to case 10, spring 72 permanently exertsan elastic force of rotation on drum 30.

In order to allow another key (not shown), such as, for example, theignition key of the vehicle to be attached, case 10 is provided with aring 82 hooked onto stud 84 of case 10.

The operation of the retractable key carrier will now be described.

If the infrared wave transmitter incorporated in case 10 breaks down,the user can withdraw the key which is retracted in case 10, case 10having an outer shape shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The user can turn serrated control wheel 62 counterclockwise withrespect to the position of FIG. 7 in order to rotate the drum againstthe elastic rotational force exerted by return spring 72. The drum maybe rotated from the first position defined above through an angle of 90°until it occupies the second position defined above. As soon as thisposition has been reached, that is, as soon as window 35 is opposite toopening 24, key 18 pivots automatically about its pin 28 under theaction of the elastic rotational force exerted on key body 22 by spiralspring 38. The key then pivots until it occupies its extended positionshown in FIG. 1. The user can then use emergency key 18 while using case10 as a gripping head for key 18.

When the user wishes to retract key 18 into case 10, he can make body 22pivot about pin 28 by pushing on it against the elastic force exerted byspring 38 until the key occupies its fully retracted position 18" shownin FIG. 1. In this fully retracted position body 22 of key 18 iscompletely withdrawn into space 35 formed in drum 34 and nothingprevents the drum from rotating clockwise about its pin (in relation tothe position of FIG. 6)under the action of return spring 72. The drumrotates until it reoccupies the first position defined above, in whichposition stud 64 abuts against end 68 of stud-hole 66 and in whichposition key body 22 abuts against surface 60 of case 10, whichcompletely masks window 35. The key is again completely retracted and nolonger visible from outside the case.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described. In particular,the key body could pivot by 180° in order to occupy an exit positionparallel to the axis of the infrared bulb.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:
 1. A key carrier comprising:a hollow case having afirst opening; a hollow drum having first and second ends, said hollowdrum mounted in said case adjacent said first opening such that saidfirst and second ends of said drum are enclosed by said case, said drumhaving a second opening and being rotatably mounted about a first axis,whereby said drum may be rotated such that said first and secondopenings are in alignment; a pin mounted in said drum to define a secondaxis perpendicular to said first axis; a key pivotally mounted on saidpin for movement between a first position wherein said key is positionedin said drum, and a second position wherein said key extends out of saiddrum; first means for biasing said key into said second position; secondmeans for biasing said drum such that said first and second openings areout of alignment; and means for permitting manual rotation of said drum,whereby said key is retained in said first position by said case whensaid first and second openings are biased out of alignment by saidsecond biasing means, wherein rotation of said drum by said manualrotation means such that said first and second openings are in alignmentpermits said first biasing means to move said key into said secondposition, and wherein said second biasing means moves said first andsecond openings out of alignment when said key is returned to said firstposition.
 2. The carrier of claim 1 wherein said first means for biasingcomprise a spiral spring wound about said pin, said spiral spring havinga first end engaging said drum and a second end engaging said key. 3.The carrier of claim 2 wherein said spiral spring is positioned withinsaid drum.
 4. The carrier of claim 1 wherein said case includes a stopsurface against which said key abuts for retaining said key in saidfirst position when said first and second openings are out of alignment.5. The carrier of claim 1 wherein said manual rotation means comprises aserrated control wheel fixed to said drum.
 6. The carrier of claim 1including means for limiting the angle of rotation of said drum.
 7. Thecarrier of claim 6 wherein said means for limiting comprise:a stud holeformed in said case, said stud hole defining an elongate arcuate shapeand having two ends; and a stud fixed to said drum and positioned insaid stud hole, the rotation of said drum being limited by contactbetween said stud and said ends of said stud hole.
 8. The carrier ofclaim 1 wherein said drum includes an axial cylindrical groove, saidsecond biasing means comprising a spiral spring mounted in said grooveand having a first end engaging said drum and a second end engaging saidcase.
 9. The carrier of claim 1 including an electromagnetic signaltransmitter positioned in said case.